Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The Perfect Job

Since I am no longer tethered, I can talk about my perfect job without fear of offending.

Company SizeI don't necessarily care how big the company is, but I know the bigger it is, the more bureaucratic it gets. Small usually means more nimble. I like large companies because that's a lot of people to get to know.

CultureCasual. Definitely casual. I've been spoiled the last 6 months...shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops to work everyday. I met a recruiter the other day and I actually had to wear (long) pants and a button-up shirt. Yuk. I like to dress up...just not every day.

Cursing. Have to have cursing.

More points if you add in a swear jar.

Even professional. I want to work with people who have Jedi skills. I want to work with Good Lazy people, not Bad Lazy.

BenefitsHealth Insurance, 401k plans, vacation time...all of those are important. On site gym? WIN! Even though I fail to go, it's nice to have that option. That was one of the big selling points in moving to Tampa. WellCare had a massive (to me anyway) campus, weight room, basketball and racquetball courts. They even had a softball field.

The last place I worked had a great gym and a car wash guy that came every week or so (though I never partook).

EnvironmentThis definitely crosses path with some of the other categories, but I decided to create a new one because I wasn't sure exactly where it fit.

By environment, I mean your desk set up. Must haves:--2 or more 21 inch monitors--kick ass desktop machine--a very nice chair. If I spend a lot of time in that thing, in better be comfortable.--Ergonomic keyboard. I've been using Microsoft's Natural Keyboard (the rounded one) since I started using a computer in 1996 or 1997. I even take it to work if they don't provide one. I left mine at the last place and sent a frantic email to the HR lady to retrieve it for me.

LocationI don't want to work at home all of the time, but I do want to be close. Spending more than an hour on the road a day is a waste of time. Traffic sucks too. The past couple of months I would have baseball practice at 6:30 on Mondays and Tuesdays which means I had to leave the office no later than 5:15. I'd then swing by home, pick up LC in the driveway and off to practice we went. Thursdays were similar with tutoring at 6.

I'd also like to be able to work from home once in awhile. Some places never let you do it...I work a lot and I get into the zone at night typically. If you don't want to allow me to work from home once in awhile, why should I work at home at all?